ISSN:
0025-116X
Keywords:
Chemistry
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Physics
Notes:
Being solubilized in systems of reversed micelles of a surfactant, the macromolecules incorporate into the inner cavities of the micelles, whose size can be changed by varying the degree of hydration, w0 = [H2O]/[surfactant]. The conjugates of proteins (α-chymotrypsin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), monoclonal antibodies to insulin) with linear polyelectrolytes (poly(methacrylic acid), quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine)) are synthesized in reversed micelles of Aerosol OT (sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate) in the octane with 100% yield. The yield critically depends on the degree of hydration: the reaction does not proceed at low w0, but if w0 exceeds a threshold value (which differs for various macromolecules) the yield increases sharply and reaches 100%. Using the ultracentrifugation it was demonstrated that at low w0 the polyelectrolyte represents a compact globule compressed by the micellar matrix in the inner cavity of a micelle. Under these conditions, there is no space for the protein in a micelle which contains polyelectrolyte, and therefore reaction does not proceed. If w0 exceeds a threshold value the micelles become large enough to entrap the conjugated macromolecules simultaneously. The possibility of regulation of the conjugate composition by variation of w0 (via the size of the micellar matrix) was demonstrated by a conjugate of BSA with quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine).
Additional Material:
7 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/macp.1990.021911129
